Costume Design

University of Salford

United Kingdom, Salford

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945

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Home/United Kingdom/Salford /University of Salford/Costume Design

University of Salford

United Kingdom , Salford

Key Facts

Program Level

Bachelor

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Course Code

Course ID W450

Campuses

Main Site

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesSeptember-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 3 year(s)

Tuition Fee

GBP 18,120 / years

Next Intake September-2026

Costume Design

About

Introduction

In a nutshell

Costume Design plays an essential role in the realisation of various creative industries including theatre, film, TV, events, festivals, performance and dance. We'll prepare you to enter the costume industry as an experienced designer and maker through our BA Hons Costume Design course.

You'll learn from industry specialists within fully equipped studios and workshops. You'll have the support of a staff team with expertise in designing and creating for Theatre, Film, TV and events from the world of costume and whose own work includes the Star Wars trilogy, Dangerous Liaisons, Coronation Street, and Peaky Blinders.

Studying with us in Greater Manchester means that you'll be surrounded by Theatres, TV and Film production studios, including the BBC and Channel 4 – both located at the world-famous MediaCity. The region also provides a wide array of Music and Events venues and organisations. Our university includes the New Adelphi theatre and state-of-the-art performance spaces that allow you to collaborate with students from our courses in Dance and Performance.

From the first year of this Costume Design degree course, you'll learn how costume designers deliver briefs by mirroring industry practice. You'll analyse, interpret, and learn how to apply research skills to generate creative concepts for characters and develop creative ideas from production scripts used for on-screen and live productions. Our students have previously worked on live briefs with the Sun and Moon Theatre Company in Shanghai, China; Flux Moving Science; and Bolton Little Theatre.

In the second year of the Costume Design course, we support you to engage with Work placements to gain essential experience of live events and media productions. In your final year, you’ll have developed the skills and knowledge to enable you the potential to move successfully into professional environments such as live theatre, film/ television, festivals, dance, and light entertainment.

Our current students have worked on Sky Atlantic's Intergalactic series, Andy and the Band for BBC's CBBs, and the production of Gypsy at Manchester's prestigious Royal Exchange Theatre.

Want to learn more about our Costume Design degree? You can sign up for an Open Day.

You will:

Develop the skills you need to work in costume and wardrobe supervision, music video design and styling, and museums and heritage events
Learn how to analyse and interpret scripts to design costumes that align with characters and their stories
Learn practical skills in costume design and get to grips with the history and culture surrounding this craft

Placement

options available

International

students accepted

We'll teach you industry standard skills and you’ll put them into practice when you study with us

We offer our students to work on live briefs where they're designs can be used in real productions.

You’ll learn how to dissect scripts, apply creativity and use research to turn your concepts into a reality

Winners at the Create Student Awards 2022

Abdul Yussuff and Jasmine Thomas won the Create Awards for Art and Design

You'll graduate with like minded friends

In your final year you'll present your achievements to industry, staff, your peers, your family and friends at the Degree Show event.

You’ll use your creativity and research to develop your ideas

This is for you if...

You’d like to analyse scripts and think creatively to design costumes that properly reflect characters

You’d like to learn how to work with a wide range of materials and specialist equipment to design and constructed costumes.

You have studied art and design and have a portfolio of work that you can share with us.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Requirements

What you need to know

Applicant profile

To gain a place on this Costume Design degree, youâll have to submit a personal statement and meet our entry requirements when you apply.

Within your Costume Design degree personal statement (up to 4,000 characters), weâll want to understand:

What motivates you and what current experiences do you have in terms of art and design and storytelling through costume design?
How have you been involved and what did you do?
Do you appreciate the impact that costumes have on the way audiences perceive characters?
Are you a creative thinker with the imagination and skills to bring your ideas to life?
Do you have any knowledge in the arts and costume design sector; are there any projects/productions that inspire you?
Why do you want to work in the costume design sector?
Why is the University of Salford and this Costume Design degree the right choice for your future goals?

As part of your application, we will need to see a portfolio of work to provide opportunity for you to share your creative practice with us. Any offers will be conditional upon our subject team having the opportunity to review your portfolio, and we look forward to viewing your work. For some applicants, you may also be asked to take part in an informal group seminar discussion or interviewâ either live or on camera â to demonstrate your skills.

Once youâve made your application to study with us, weâll contact you and let you know the next steps.

Want to find out more about our Costume Design degree courses? You can sign up to an Open Day or attend a campus tour.

Our supportive course enquiries team can help you with any general questions you may have. You can also explore all of our Art and Design courses or our Fashion courses.

Standard entry requirements

GCSE

English Language at grade C/level 4 or above (or equivalent). Maths at grade C/4 or above (or equivalent) is preferred but not essential.

You must fulfil our GCSE entry requirements as well as one of the requirements listed below

UCAS Tariff Points

104-112 points.

A level

104-112 points.

T level

Merit

BTEC National Diploma

DMM-DDM in a relevant subject

Access to HE

112-128 points to include specific Art & Design or Design & Technology

Scottish Highers

112 - 128 points to include specific subjects: Art & Design or Design & Technology

Irish Leaving Certificate

112 - 128 points to include Art & Design or Design & Technology

International Baccalaureate

31-32 points including Art & Design/ Design & Technology

European Baccalaureate

Pass in Diploma with at least 73% to include specific subjects Art & Design or Design & Technology

Foundation Diploma in Art and Design

Distinction = 112 UCAS points - if you have a Pass (80 points) or Merit (96 points), you must have additional qualifications to a total of 112 points.

International students

We accept qualifications from all around the world. Find your country to see a full list of entry requirements.

If you are an international student and not from a majority English speaking country, you will need IELTS 6.0 with no element below 5.5.

We also accept a range of other English language qualifications. If you do not have the English language requirements, you could take our Pre-Sessional English course. Merit

Alternative entry requirements

Salford Alternative Entry Scheme (SAES)

We welcome applications from students who may not meet the stated entry criteria but who can demonstrate their ability to pursue the course successfully. Once we have received your application we will assess it and recommend it for SAES if you are an eligible candidate.

There are two different routes through the Salford Alternative Entry Scheme and applicants will be directed to the one appropriate for their course. Assessment will either be through a review of prior learning or through a formal test.

English Program Requirements

Equivalent qualifications

English language requirements are shown on individual course pages. Generally, this is shown as an IELTS grade, however we accept a range of equivalent qualifications.

As a general guide:

For undergraduate courses we require IELTS 6.0 (with a minimum 5.5 in each component) or equivalent

For postgraduate courses, we require IELTS 6.0 (with a minimum 5.5 in each component) or equivalent

For the International Foundation Year, we require IELTS 4.5 (with a minimum 4.0 in each component) in UKVI IELTS for UKVI (Academic)

The approved equivalent qualifications list includes the following:

Secure English Language Tests (SELTs)

University of Salford English language courses

Regional-based qualifications

Majority English Speaking Countries as deemed by UKVI

Medium of English Institutions

Applicants who require a Student Route visa to study in the UK may require evidence of a Secure English Language test rather than an examination or qualification due to visa requirements, as deemed by the UK Government Home Office, Visa and Immigration (UKVI).

Career

Employment and stats

What about after uni?

Employment

What will your career prospects look like after you study costume design with us? You’ll graduate with all of the tools needed to become a professional costume designer and maker. You could choose to work in costume design, costume and wardrobe supervision, costume crafts, music video design and styling, as well as museums and heritage events. There are many different routes to explore.

You may go on to work for an established organisation, or as a freelancer, however, the nature of the costume design industry means that self-employment is increasingly the norm. Our aim is that you will graduate with the entrepreneurial skills you need to seek out, secure and undertake work on a freelance basis.

Alternatively, your educational journey doesn’t need to end here. This costume design university course also puts you in a great position to continue to postgraduate study.

Further study

Graduates showing strong academic and research skills can pursue a further postgraduate path through our Postgraduate programmes on a full-time or part-time basis subject to a satisfactory proposal.

A taste of what you could become

A costume designer

A wardrobe supervisor

A fashion designer

And more...

Career Links

The Costume Design course is supported by the following companies and individuals:

Jack Thompson (Technical Director for Manchester International Festival)
Daniella Pearman (Head of costume for ITV’s Coronation Street)
Alex Saffer (Assistant Wardrobe Supervisor for ITV’s Coronation Street)
Amy Stokeld (Freelance wardrobe supervisor)
John Krausa (Freelance costume designer in film and television)
James Maciver (Freelance costume designer and maker for light entertainment and theatre)
Rebecca Hodgson (Head of Drama Lime Pictures)
Emma Dibb (Production Designer)